The Destination Issue 25 Vol 1

WEATHER ISLAMABAD Sunny

ISLAMABAD ISSUE: 25 VOL: 1

43°C 110°F

Precipitation: 10% Humidity: 20% Wind: 15mph Monday – June 5, 2017

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Ramadan 09 1468 AH.

Rain likely in different parts of country from Tuesday The Met Office has Sunday predicted rain in several areas of the country from Tuesday evening after two days of scorching heat in plain areas.

T he s p el l of r a i n w it h thunderstorm and wind is likely in Malakand, Hazara and Rawalpindi division, Islamabad, upper regions of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Gilgit-Baltistan and parts of Kashmir.

The weather department has forecasted extreme heat for the next two days across country, especially in Bahawalpur, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, Gujranwala, Lahore, S a r g o d h a , Fa i s a l a b a d , Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Sibi, Sukkur and Larkana.

European states should stop Indian atrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir: Ali Raza BRUSSELS (DNA) - Chairman Kashmir Council EU (KC-EU) Mr Ali Raza Syed has urged European states to stop Indian atrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

He issued a statement from Brussels while commenting on a recent visit of Indian Prime to three European states of Germany, Spain and France.

The statement said, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi continuously visiting Europe since he took power three years ago in order to divert attention of the world from severe situation of human rights in India and specially Indian Held Kashmir (IHK).

Germany seeks ways to normalize relations with Turkey: FM The German foreign minister said on Saturday that he will use his upcoming visit to Ankara to mend ties with Turkey.

“We are seeking out ways to return to normalized relations with Turkey,” top diplomat Sigmar Gabriel told reporters in St. Petersburg.

Tension between Turkey and Germany rose last week after a German parliamentary delegation was not allowed to visit the Incirlik Air Base, where German troops are stationed.

The move was in response to Germany’s attitude towards Turkish deputies during the recent constitutional referendum period where Turkish officials were barred from holding meetings in Germany, drawing a strong reaction from the Turkish government.

Ronaldo beats Messi to become leading Champions trophy goal scorer LISBON, JUN 04 (DNA) Cristiano Ronaldo has finished top of the UEFA Champions League scorers’ table for the fifth year running after overtaking Lionel Messi tonight, his two goals in Real Madrid’s 4-1 final win against Juventus in Cardiff taking him to 12 for the season.

Messi totalled 11 before Barcelona’s quarter-final exit, allowing Ronaldo to then move to within one of the lead when he became the first player to pass 100 goals in both the UEFA Champions League and U EFA club comp et it ion overall. However, his double tonight in the Welsh capital ensured that the Portuguese has top-scored, either jointly or outright, a record six times – including for a record five consecutive campaigns – and he also leads Messi 105-94 in in UEFA Champions League

PM EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH BRITAIN AFTER LONDON TERROR ATTACK

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India defeat Pakistan by 124 runs

Nawaz Sharif expressed condolences to bereaved families and prayed for early recovery of injured.

India began their defence of ICC Champions Trophy 2017 with a 124-run win over arch-rivals Pakistan in Birmingham. India posted 319/3 batting first before rain forced Pakistan’s target to be revised to 289 off 41 overs.

Mashal Khan’s murder was planned, reveals JIT report

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has strongly condemned the terrorist attack in London resulting in loss of precious lives and injuries to many.

In a statement denouncing the terrorist attack on Sunday, the Prime Minister said we stand in solidarity with the people and government of United Kingdom.

He expressed condolences to the bereaved families and

prayed for early recovery of the injured.

In a statement on Sunday, the Foreign Office spokesperson said the people and government of Pakistan stand in solidarity with the United Kingdom and its people in this hour of grief.

He reiterated Pakistan`s stance that terrorism is a global menace and as a

common challenge it needs to be tackled with collective effort and cooperation.

Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Syed Ibne Abbas has also condemned terrorists attack in London.

In a message, he strongly condemned the atrocious act of terrorism in London targeting innocent people.

Yemeni gov’t backs UN envoy’s plan for Red Sea The Yemeni government on Sunday welcomed UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s plan for the Houthi-held Red Sea port of Hodeidah in western Yemen.

During his visit to Sanaa last week, the UN envoy called for preventing any attack on the port, which has been the entry point for 70 percent of

Yemen’s food supplies as well as humanitarian aid.

He also called for maintaining the independence of the central bank with a view to allowing it to pay salaries in the war-torn nation.

“The government is fully ready to discuss the details of proposals related to arrangements for the withdrawal of

militias from Hodeidah,” Yemen’s UN mission said in a statement cited by the official.

It called for forming a “technical committee of economists and financial experts to help the government find an appropriate and urgent mechanism to pay salaries and deal with revenues” from Houthi-ruled areas.

Pakistan elected chair of WHO Executive Board

In a major development, Pakistan was elected chair of the World Health Organisation (W HO) Executive Board on Friday in Geneva, with Director General Health Dr Asad Hafeez formally assuming office as chairman of the board. The 34-member elite group ─ which is considered the highest global policy forum

on health ─ elected Pakistan as its chair during its 141st session held on June 1, with 22 votes in favour of Pakistan.

The executive board is composed of 34 individuals technically qualified in the field of health, each one designated by a member state. The WHO’s executive board meets at least twice a year. The annual board

meeting is held in January when the member countries agree upon the agenda for the World Health Assembly and the resolutions to be considered by the assembly with a second shorter meeting in May, immediately after the Health Assembly.

The main functions of the executive board are to advise and facilitate the World Health Assembly and to give effect to the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly comprising 194 member countries.

The election is a two-tier process. The first phase was held at a regional level whereas a global forum was part of the final phase. Pakistan was initially elected by a group of 22 countries making up the Eastern Mediterranean Region and later at the global forum by the executive board.

UN agency lists Kashmir as not part of India NEW YORK(DNA) The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has depicted on one of its web sections Jammu and Kashmir as a separate country and not part of India.

In UN’s page on non-gover n ment al orga n isat ions (NGOs) – more precisely, in the ‘Advanced search for Civil

Society Organization’ section – Jammu and Kashmir has been inserted in the ‘Country / Geographical area’ section, media reports said.

The page is about the listing of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that have consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

It is to mention here that India is illegally occupying Jammu and Kashmir since partition

of Indian subcontinent in 1947 and claims its accession under a controversial document, Instrument of Accession, it signed with the then Dogra Maharaja of Kashmir.

However, neutral observers deny the existence of any such document with the argument that had it been there, India would have made it public at some national or international forum.

The High Commissioner expressed his confidence that resilient Londoners will prove yet again that they can defeat the terrorist mindset and designs with their exemplary united stand against forces of darkness.

He said the people of Pakistan stand shoulder to shoulder with the British people and government at this challenging time.

The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) investigating the lynching of Abdul Wali Khan University student Mashal Khan has revealed that the victim was murdered according to a plan,a local media outlet has reported.

JIT in its report further informed that a political group was under threat from the activities of the victim.

“The student used to speak against the irregularities in the university openly,” the report mentioned.

It also stated that every suspect in the

case was ineligible and was employed on recommendation.

Furthermore, “no evidences regarding blasphemy were found in the investigation,” the report stated. “A group incited the mob against the student on the pretext of blasphemy,” it added

JIT prepares second investigation report in meeting

ISLAMABA (DNA) - The meeting of Joint Investigation Team probing the offshore wealth of Sharif family in the Panama Papers Case is underway.

According to details, the statements of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s children Hassan and Hussain Nawaz are being reviewed in the meeting.

The second investigation report is also being prepared by the members of the JIT. It is pertinent to mention that the probe team will submit the second investigation report on 7th June.

A bench of Supreme Court will resume the hearing of the Panama Case against Sharif family on 7th June at 01.00 pm.

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THE DESTINATION

NATIONAL PHOTO OF THE DAY

Scapegoating Pakistan will not improve security situation: Aizaz WASHINGTON Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Sates Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry has said that scapegoating Pakistan for failures in Afghanistan will not help improve security situation in either country.

“Pakistan and Afghanistan should work together on counter-terrorism operations,” he said in an interview with Washington Times.

The Ambassador vehemently denied Afghan intelligence accusations that Haqqani Network is operating from

Pakistan’s North Waziristan region.

Aizaz Chaudhry said, “The Haqqani Network is on the run, as far as we are concerned, in the wake of largescale cou nt e r-t e r ror ism offensives in North Waziristan elsewhere within Pakistan’s volatile tribal region.” Talking about the terrorist attack in Kabul on Wednesday, May 31, the Ambassador strongly denied accusations by Afghan intelligence that the Pakistanibased Haqqani Network was responsible for the massive truck bomb, which killed 90 people and wounded over 400

and decimated Kabul’s diplomatic sector.

“It is outright barbaric terrorism, and we should condemn it with all the might that we have. The attack should serve to strengthen our resolve to work with Kabul on counterterrorism operations,” he added.

“The attack was one of the worst suicide attacks to hit the capital since U.S. and NATO forces ended combat operations in the country back in 2014. Chaudhry noted that only Afghan intelligence officials had linked the Haqqanis to Wednesday’s blast, adding

the government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had yet to endorse the findings.

He also questioned, “How Afghan intelligence officials were able to determine responsibility for the strike so quickly?” “If you were so good, that within seconds of the attack you can know who did it, then you should have also known when they were coming,” he quipped.

“It is too simplistic to say all of these problems are because of Pakistan and we have not entered into this blame game because of that,” Chaudhry said.—DNA

DFID to continue its cooperation with Punjab govt in various sectors: Joanna

Beauty and the beast, Willy’s 1951, a mountain beast parked at lake Saif ul Malook, most beautiful lake on earth located in Naran valley, KPK, Pakistan

Head of British DFID Joanna Reid calls on CM Punjab in Lahore on Saturday. Head of British Department for International Development (DFID) in Pakistan Joanna Reid called on Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore on Saturday.

The ongoing programs being implemented in collaboration with DFID in education, health and skills development sectors were discussed in the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, Joanna Reid said substantial improvement has been made in these sectors in the province, and DFID will

continue its cooperation with the provincial government in various sectors.

Shahbaz Sharif said collaboration between Punjab government and DFID will

increase in different sectors in coming years.

ISLAMABAD The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has signed an Agreement of Cooperation with China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Tianjin Sub-Council to promote business linkages between the private sectors of Pakistan and China.

The agreement was signed by Khalid Malik, Sen ior Vice P resident, Isla mabad Cha mber of Commerce and Industry and Zhao Feng, Vice Chairman, Ch i na Cou ncil for t he Promotion of International Trade in Tianjin during the visit of Khalid Malik to China. Khalid Malik visited China to attend some

important forums related to CPEC where he was the key note speaker.

By signing this agreement, both sides have agreed cooperate with each other for enhancing exchange of trade missions in order to explore new areas of mutual collaboration between Pakistan and China.

Both sides will make efforts for developing understanding among the private sectors of both countries with the aim of promoting trade, joint ventures and investment. Both sides will coordinate for holding seminars on trade policies and regional development.

Speaking at the occasion as key note speaker, Khalid Malik, Senior Vice President, Isla mabad Cha mber of

Commerce and Industry said that Pakistan and China have tremendous potential to improve bilateral trade and economic relations.

He said there was a great need to develop direct interactions between the entrepreneurs of both countries to explore untapped areas of mutual collaboration. He said business community of Pakistan was looking at CPEC with positive mind, however, he stressed that CPEC should provide levelplaying field to the private sectors of China and Pakistan to gain mutually beneficial outcomes.

He also briefed the audience about the incentives Pakistan was offering to the Chinese investors in CPEC projects and invited them

to visit Pakistan to explore potential business opportunities. The Chinese entrepreneurs showed keen interest in exploring joint ventures and investment in CPEC projects in Pakistan.

Z h a o Fe n g , Vic e Chairman, China Council fo r t h e P r o m o t io n of International Trade, Tianjin Sub-Council thanked Khalid Malik, Senior Vice President ICCI for signing agreement of cooperation with his organization and hoped that it will contribute positively towards developing mutual understanding among the entrepreneurs of both countries and will ultimately lead to further strengthening bilateral trade and economic relations between China and Pakistan.—DNA

the organizers said.

Thousands of people are expected to attend – includi ng hea d s of St ate a nd Government, civil society representatives, business people, as well as actors, and ocean and marine life advocates. A big showing is expected from small island developing States, particularly from the Pacific Islands, and from African coastal States, which are on the frontlines of climate change and whose economies are particularly vulnerable to changes in the oceans and marine life.

The current President of the UN General Assembly, Peter Thomson, said he is ‘very confident’ that there is an appetite to take action to aid

oceans and marine life.

Thomson, whose home country, Fiji, is co-hosting the Conference along with Sweden, said people had been ‘selfish’ about their children’s and grandchildren’s future – but now are more cognizant of the need to sustainably use natural resources.

“Every second breathe you take comes from oceanproduced oxygen. Without a healthy ocean we’re in deep trouble; whether it’s food, whether it’s our climate, we have to have the integrity or the ocean, the source of life,” Thomson told journalists yesterday in New York.

Se c ret a r y- Ge ne r al of The Ocean Conference, Wu

Hongbo, who is also the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said Member States have already hammered out the final text of the conference – which will include 22 specific actions to be taken.

He noted that climate change action taken by the international community is unstoppable, and needs global support: “If you drop a plastic bottle anywhere near your sea, it may end up in some other places.

So all these seas and oceans are connected; so regional or individual action seems very weak. We need global solutions to the global challenge.” On the eve of the

Conference, New York City, which has about 520 miles of coastline, will host the inaugural World Ocean Festival. New York’s festival will feature a first-of-its kind grand ‘ocean march,’ which will be a parade of sailing vessels around lower Manhattan and along 10 nautical miles of Manhattan and Brooklyn waterfront from the Hudson to the East River.

The second main event will be the Ocean Village, which will be set up at Gentry State Park in Long Island City as a – hub for all things ocean,- and will celebrate art, innovation and exhibits on ocean and climate action—DNA

ICCI signs MoU with China Council for Promotion of International Trade

Environment Policy of Thai Airways

Imran Haider Hamdani, source: thaiair.com Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, as the national carrier of the Kingdom of Thailand and one of the world leading airlines, is fully aware of its role and responsibility towards the nation and society in environmental conservation. The Company has continued to ensure that overall business operations and processes involved produce minimum environmental impact. It allows THAI to offer products and services to customers

that are environmentally friendly while achieving the Company’s vision of being “The First Choice Carrier with Touches of Thai”. THAI has, therefore, established environmental policies as follows: 1. To develop environmental management systems to meet international standards in order to ensure that all activities and operations are in accordance with the standard and related environmental rules and regulations 2. To develop and promote environmental management systems to be applied to all the Company’s activities in order to reduce pollution and

environmental impact on a continual basis, with clear objectives, action plans and evaluation procedures 3. To incorporate environmental impact considerations in every process of all the Company’s activities and operations, starting from design, purchasing, production and service delivery.

Resources should be used effectively and to provide the highest benefit for the Company and society 4. To increase environmental awareness among employees through training programs in order to ensure that the Company’s environmental

North Korea increased its pace of developing nuclear weapons: Mattis US Defence Secretary called for international cooperation to denuclearize Korean Peninsula

US Defence Secretary James Mattis has said the threat from North Korea is clear and present as it has increased its pace and scope of developing nuclear weapons. He was speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. He called for international cooperation to denuclearize Korean Peninsula.

James Mattis said the United States is encouraged by China’s efforts to restrain North Korea from pursuing nuclear program.

NEW YORK Warming oceans, depleting sea life and plastic pollution are on the agenda for next week’s ocean summit at the United Nations, which will call for urgent action to improve the health of the oceans, while also creating jobs and raising people out of poverty.

“Human activities are having major impacts on the ocean, affecting everything from the viability of marine habitats to the quality and temperature of the water, the health of marine life, and the continued availability of seafood,” the UN organizers said about the event being held June

systems a re ef fect ively implemented 5. To provide support towards environmental protection programs including giving accurate news and information to staff, customers and the public and private sector in order to enhance better understanding on the Company’s efforts towards environmental preservation and conservation.

All functions are required to adapt these policies to determine the objectives, goals and guidelines of their respective functions in order accomplish the Company’s objective.

UN set to open a summit aimed at reversing decline in oceans’ health 5 to 9.

The Ocean Conference, the first ever such summit convened by the UN, will focus on the targets outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by Governments in 2015.

In particular among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Goal 14 highlights the need to conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas and marine resources to benefit present and future generations.

“Ocean deterioration has broader implications as it affects poverty eradication, economic growth, sustainable livelihoods and employment, global food security, human health and climate regulation,”

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Monday - June 5, 2017

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ducation is a powerful instrument to eradicate poverty and sustainability of economic growth and development. After the establishment of Millennium Development Goals, developing Hashoo Foundation, Islamabad countries have vowed to work intensively to meet the set targets in education. Regard to this, countries have started developing education policies and revise them time to time according to emerging needs. Considering the importance of education globally, organizations such as UNICEF, USAID, UNESCO, UNHCR and many other local and international organizations are putting their efforts to bring improvement in education through carrying various projects and research work.

Hence the world is far behind in accomplishing the goals of EFA. A report shared by U N E S C O -2 016 shows that 33.8 million children and adolescence are out of school globally that creates a disastrous

Mehr Parwar

Publishing Editor: Rana Tahir Shahbaz Editor: Tayyaba Imran Contact #: 051-8314196 Fax#: 051-8315196 Mob#: 0300-8503803, 0347-5959747 www.thedestination.com.pk info@thedestination.com.pk

Education Policies and Gaps situation for world. To improve the situation well-targeted financing and planning is crucial.

Pakistan since inception developed a series of education policies and reviewed them time to time after identifying issues and emerging needs. Since commencement the policy clearly mentioned that education of every child between 5-16 age should be free in the country. Moreover, Article 25-A constitution also obligates the same. However, it seems like

Writers are requested to send their contributions at editor@thedestination.com.pk

a day dream for all to increase our literacy rate at national level.

The statistics in education reported by UNESCO 2014, states that, “Overall 27 million children are out of school in Pakistan. Consequently Pakistan becomes second last country after Nigeria that has highest out of school children. Furthermore, it depicts that “Five and half million school age children have no access to school”. The same research provides province wise ratio of 3-5 years age out of the school children that is as; 50% in Punjab, 78% in Baluchistan, 61% in Sindh and 65% in KP. However, little improvement has been observed in some areas in education. In this regard report of Pakistan Coalition for Education 2016 shows the overall literacy rate in Pakistan as 58%. The net enrollment rate for primary education is 57%, it further decreases for middle school and matric level NER dropping to 22% and 13% respectively.

The reviewed policy 2009 illustrates that Pakistan suffers from two key deficiencies: at all levels of education, access to educational opportunities remains low and the quality of education is weak, not only in relation to Pakistan’s goals themselves but also in international comparisons with the reference countries. Many grey areas discussed in all education policies were present in the previous policy document prepared in the country from time to time and apparently many of the problems still persist in the review policy of 2009.

The recent policy review identifies three main reasons of policy failure at all levels that are; 1.weak Governance, 2. Lack of Stakeholders’ participation & access 3.Low Quality.

Primary education provides a base for improving literacy rate of any country. Hence, effective planning along with its implementation is critical to bring desirable results in early childhood and primary education. Realizing this fact, the National Education Policy 19982010 suggests to bring reforms in ECE and primary education for reducing dropout rate of students and ensure quality education in schools. Henceforward, end up by highlighting the importance of public private partnership to achieve the set Education targets.

10 reasons to visit Azerbaijan 1. 9 out of 11 world climatic zones are found here.

A unique case when one may find most of the existing in the world climate types within the borderlines of one country: from dry and humid subtropical (in Lankaran) up to mountain tundra (the Big Caucasus highlands). At the same time the most part of the territory of Azerbaijan is situated in the subtropical zone.

This allows planting oranges, tangerines, lemons, feijoa, kiwi and other exotic fruits. In south regions Lankaran and Masally one may often see growing banana trees with green fruit ovaries.

Even if bananas do not grow ripe these tropical guests enliven the surrounding landscape. No wonder that a favourable climate – early spring, mild winter and plenty of sunny days, makes Azerbaijan the centre of beach tourism. Beach season opens at the Absheron seaside in May and lasts till the end of September.

All official and unofficial information resources call the Caspian Sea the largest lake in the World. Truly, its area is about 371 000 square kilometres and the maximum depth is 1025m. Its huge area as well as the fact that its bed is composed of ocean type Earth crust allows to call this lake “the sea”.

At the same time the water of the Caspian Sea is not as salty as the water of the other seas hence more favourable for swimming, less irritates eyes and does not dry skin. If we additionally mention about excellently developed infrastructure on Absheron seaside and in the famous Nabran resort zone - a lot of hotels and resort centres, boat trips, yacht clubs, fishing, diving - it is evident why Azerbaijan is well-deserved to be considered the centre of coastal tourism in all the Coastal Caspian region.

3. Monuments included into UNESCO World Heritage list.

a flatland located in 60 km to the south of Baku, part of which is a cultural view of drawings on rocks at the area of 537 hectares.

Unique proves about the habitants of the region of stone age and of the later ages are collected in Gobustan mountains – drawings on rocks, human settlement points, tombstones and others.

There are located remains of the great prehistoric cromlech (a circular composition of vertical stones, Azerbaijani analogue of Stonehenge). There are approximately 6000 drawings in Gobustan – petroglyphes describing people and animals. It is interesting that the XIIth legion of Domician, the Roman emperor, visited the territory of Gobustan in the 1st century A.D. which is proved by Latin inscription on a stone.

Germany to only expel Afghan refugees, posing threat to country: Merkel German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that Germany will expel only those Afghan refugees who are considered a threat to the country. Talking to journalists she said that those Afghan refugees who are involved in criminal activities or have not disclosed their identity will also be deported.

Her statement came at a time when demands for expulsion of Afghan refugees from Germany intensified after the Kabul bomb blast on Wednesday.

UAE’s embassy, in a message to Pakistan’s foreign office, termed these news fake and part of baseless propaganda. “There are no visa bans on any category of Pakistani applicants.

This news is being spread from Pakistan and needs to be investigated,” the message read. “Those spreading false rumours should be dealt with swiftly,” the embassy advised Islamabad.

It is pertinent here to mention that some media outlets, in the past few days, incessantly reported that Dubai government had

Naftalan resort has gained world fame thanks to healing Naftalan oil having no analogue at the planet due to its unique biological composition. The resort is located 20 km far from the second big city of Azerbaijan- Ganja, in the zone of Naftalan oil fields - in Naftalan town.

Naftalan oil has unique healing qualities having no analogue in the world. It provides with various healing effects to human

Azerbaijan is the first in the world by the number of mud volcanoes. 350 out of 800 mud volcanoes in the world are located here! Thousands of tourists visit Azerbaijan every year to see impressive eruption of the mud volcanoes accompanied by explosions and underground roar. Gases come out of the deep layers of the Earth during eructation and immediately inflame. The flame above the volcanoes may reach up to 1000 metres (Garasu volcano).

Travellers love to take photos with mud volcanoes very much, the fantastic view of which reminds the surface of the Moon. It is interesting that geologists from NASA who studied the surface of Mars have come to conclusion that mud volcanoes of Azerbaijan are similar by the structure with highlands of the red planet.

Putin urges US business to help normalize Russia-US ties

President Vladimir Putin has urged US businessmen to use their influence to help normalize Russia-US relations.

Speaking at an economic forum in St. Petersburg, Putin said relations between Moscow and Washington are now at their lowest point since Cold War times.

During a panel meeting, he also pledged to help improve conditions for U.S. business in Russia.

Saudi King Salman named Islamic Personality of the Year

UAE embassy terms news of visa restrictions fake, demands stern action ISLAMABAD (DNA) Embassy of United Arab Emirates (UAE) has rubbished news circulating about visa restrictions for the national of Pakistan.

5. Mud volcanoes.

4. A unique Naftalan oil resort.

2. The largest salty lake of the planet – the Caspian Sea.

One of them is historical-artistic reserve Gobustan or simply Gobustan – the rarest monument of the world culture, one of the first centres of human civilization. This archaeological reserve is

organism, such as anti-inflammatory, pain relieving, vasodilating and stimulating. Healing propeties and effectiveness of the naftalan for different diseases have been proved by the results of thousands of scientific works and monographs.

ended 90-day visit visa for the nationals of Pakistan and Philippines.

The online publisher, uaeviral.com, quoted a manager of a travel agency, “We are not sure whether

this is a temporary or permanent stop.

As of now we have been instructed not to accept applications. There is a possibility that we process

the applications through another Emirate but will definitely have higher restrictions and would be more costly.”

DUBAI— Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia has been named Islamic Personality of the Year by the organising committee of the Dubai International Holy Q u r a n Awa r d , Khaleej Times reported.

Ibrahim Bu Melha, Head of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, said that the prestigious title was awarded to King Salman for his noble positions and tremendous contributions in the service of Islam, Muslims and the holy shrines.

“This is a well-deserved honour as King Salman

has spared no effort in serving the visitors of the Two Holy Mosques, easing the rituals of Haj and Umrah for pilgrims,” he said.

The Dh1 million award is annually presented to an individual or entity in appreciation to their effort in serving the Holy Quran.

Earlier in 2016, 96-yearold Emirati scholar Sheikh Mohammed Ali bin Al Sheik h Abdu r rah man Sultan Al Ulama was awarded the Dh1 million Islamic personality of the year award. He was selected out of a long list of nominees.—DNA

Guinea, Poland, Kuwait among six elected to UNSC The United Nations General Assembly has elected Kuwait, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Peru and Poland as non-permanent members of the Security Council. These will fill seats to be vacated by Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay on December 31. All new Council members will take their seats on January 1, 2018, for a period of two years.

Published by Rana Tahir Shahbaz from Office # 2 , First Floor, Abbasi Plaza , Bani Gala Islamabad (ph: 051-8314196, fax: 051-8315196) & Printed at Roohani Art Press Islamabad

THE DESTINATION

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Chinese ‘Silk Road’ firms to help Balochistan mine minerals

Stable Pakistan imperative for success of Kashmir liberation struggle: Masood AJK President was addressing to trainee officers, cadets of 136th Long Course of Pakistan Military T he A z a d Ja m mu a nd Kashmir President Sardar Muhammad Masood Khan u nderli ned the need of forging complete unity to highlight the longstanding Kashmir issue more effectively at international level.

He was addressing to the trainee officers and cadets of 136th Long Course of Pakistan Military Academy Kakool in Abbottabad. Sardar Muhammad Masood said a

strong and stable Pakistan is imperative for the success of Kashmir liberation struggle.

He said Kashmiris are determined to achieve their right of self-determination despite worst ever state terrorism by Indian troops in held valley.

AJK President lauded the professional and humanitarian services of Pak Army for protecting the geographical and ideological frontiers of the country.

Young Doctors Association in KP ended strike—after many patients’ deaths The government of resourcer ich Baloch ist a n wa nt s Chinese companies to kickstart a boom in its mining industry by including the sector into Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, a senior provincial mining official said.

Beijing has pledged $57 billion for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a f lagship Belt and Road project that first focused on Chinese firms building roads and power stations but is now expanding to include setting up industries.

Mi neral ext raction is a deeply contentious issue in Balochistan, where many indigenous people are angry that the province remains the country’s poorest despite its vast mineral wealth.

Balochistan has a significant natural gas industry but largescale mining has failed to take

off.

Foreign firms have been put off by security fears and a high-profile litigation case with Canada’s Barrick Gold and Chile’s Antofagasta over Reko Diq, one of the world’s biggest undeveloped gold and copper mines, in the province.

Saleh Muhammad Baloch, the province’s top mining official, said the plan is for Chinese companies chosen by Beijing to team up with local firms to mine marble, chromite, limestone, coal and other minerals, and set up steel mills and other plants.

“They will come as partners and technically support us,” Baloch, who is Balochistan’s secretary for mines, told Reuters in Quetta this week.

Baloch said the province wanted the projects to be set up close to the source of raw materials and near the new

CPEC roads that will connect western China with the Arabian Sea port of Gwadar.

A profit-sharing formula will also be negotiated. Baloch said the finer details of the province’s proposals were being worked out in Islamabad, where officials are finalising plans for special economic zones and greater integration of Chinese companies into Pakistan’s economy.

He cited the Saindak copper and gold mine, operated by a subsidiary of state-run China Metallurgical Group Corporation, as an example to follow. The mine has been given export privileges and enjoys big tax breaks.

However, extraction of precious metals, such as copper and gold, will not fall under the CPEC remit.

“As far as precious metals are concerned, we will

go for competitive bidding internationally,” Baloch said.

Balochistan is seeking formal expressions of interest by international companies for an exploration block in the Tethyan belt, which boasts big copper and gold deposits.

The H4 block has estimated deposits of 148 million tonnes.

“Chinese, Australian, Turkish (companies) … are all interested,” Baloch said.

The H4 block is nearby the much richer Tethyan belt blocks mired in a legal dispute in international courts between Pakistan and Tethyan Copper Company, which is owned by Barrick Gold and Antofagasta. Barrick Gold estimates a $3 billion investment would be needed for the mine. Baloch said he could not comment on the Reko Diq case due to the legal cases.

T h e Yo u n g D o c t o r s Association (YDA) of three major hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has ended their strike after holding successful talks with the provincial government. According to a spokesman of the Young Doctors Association, the government has assured to redress

the reservations of the doctors including non-political interference in the running affairs of the hospitals. Meanwhile, the government has announced a relief package of three million rupees for the families of the doctors who lost their lives during duty hours.

9 hydro-power projects being established: Hafeez-ur Rehman

Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Hafiz Hafeez-ur Rehman says nine hydro-power projects are being established in the region on priority to overcome electricity shortage.

Chairing a meeting in Gilgit, he said on completion these projects will add two hundred and fifty megawatt electricity to the system by 2020.

Strong earthquake strikes Bering Sea, off the Alaska

kilometres of the track will be elevated while around 1 kilometre will be underground.

The project will have 26 stations out of which Anarkali and Central Station will be underground. The endpoints of the Orange Line route will be Ali Town at Raiwind and Dera Gujran at GT Road.

The trains will be fully automated and driverless, and underground train stations will have automated doors between trains and platform, while public areas of the stations will

be air conditioned during the summer.

Work related to the project is continuing at a fast pace.

The laying of rail tracks for the project has also begun.

Recently, the first of the 27 trains for the Orange Line project was unveiled in China.

The train has five coaches and possesses an energy saving air-conditioning system. The train will be delivered in July while the rest of the trains will be delivered by the end of next year.

However, it is still yet unclear whether work will continue at the eleven historic sites where the court had ordered a halt on development work. Last year in August, the Lahore High Court ordered the stopping of construction work within 200 feet of eleven historical sites.

The decision came against the backdrop of protests and the World Heritage Committee of the UNESCO expressing concerns over the development proposal of the train.—DNA

Erdogan files complaint against ex-Pentagon official ANKARA, (DNA) Tu rkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has filed legal papers against former Pentagon official Michael Rubin. Lodged to the Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s office by Erdogan’s lawyer Huseyin Aydin, the nine-page complaint letter accused Rubin, an American Enterprise Institute (AEI) analyst of insulting the president, the Turkish media reported.

The complaint noted, “Rubin’s illogical accusations and insulting tweets are not only a ref lection of his hatred and anger towards President Erdogan but also against the Turkish Republic.”

Rubin is accused of suppor t i ng a nd com m it t i ng offenses for Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which is blamed by Turkish government for being behind the July 15 defeated coup that left 250

Quake having intensity of 6.9 at Richter Scale not expected to cause tsunami.

In the United States, a strong earthquake has struck the Bering Sea, off the coast of Alaska. According to the US Geological Survey, the quake having intensity of 6.9 at Richter scale is not expected to cause a tsunami.

Global warming to give intense heat waves, long drought periods, less Rainy season

people dead and around 2,200 injured.

In his columns and tweets, Rubin accused the Turkish president of using the coup attempt “to purge society of

political and ideological opponents”. US based FETO leader Fetullah Gulen is accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through infiltrating the Turkish state,

par ticularly the militar y, police, and judiciary, forming the so-called parallel state.

Gulen has been living in selfimposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.

ISLAMABAD The gover nment plans to expand the number of higher educational institutions in the country under the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Vision 2025.

According to official sources, over Rs 35 billion have been allocated for this purpose during the next fiscal year. Under the plan, 150 affiliated community colleges will be established in each district across

the country to produce skilled human resource whereas 15 new research universities will be established offering innovative programmes in technologies, medicine, agriculture, communication allied health professions.

The plan envisages setting up more than one hundred smart campuses of different public sector universities in underdeveloped areas. Sub campuses of FATA University in all agencies are also part of the comprehensive plan.

Two Indian soldiers killed, four injured in Indian Occupied Kashmir

Orange Line project budget experiences Rs 8bln increase LAHORE The biggest development project in the history of Lahore, Orange Line Metro Train Project, has been allocated the largest amount of finance in the history of development projects.

According to Punjab s new budget, Rs 93 billion has been allocated for the project in the development budget of Punjab for this year, which is Rs 8 billion more than the amount allocated last year.

No development project has ever been allocated such an amount from the budget. The fact that such a huge amount has been dedicated to this project shows the interest of the Punjab government in the completion of this project. It also shows that this is the Punjab government s star project, which they aim to cash on in the next general elections.

Around 70 percent of the development work has been completed on the 27 kilometre long metro train project.

Out of the total distance of the train track, approximately 24

Govt plans to expand number of higher educational institutions

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases act like a blanket, absorbing IR radiation and preventing it from escaping into outer space. The net effect is the gradual heating of Earth’s atmosphere and

surface, a process known as global warming. Having severe Global warming or rapidly climate changes can rise our sea level in coastal areas of Sindh, specially in Karachi.

SRINAGAR, (DNA) At least two Indian soldiers were killed and four others injured in an attack in occupied Kashmir on Saturday.

Accord i ng to K a sh m i r Media Service (KMS), some unknown gunmen attacked a convoy of Indian Army on Srinagar-Jammu Highway at Lower Munda near Qazigund area of the district. Six soldiers were injured in the

attack and two of them later succumbed to their injuries.

Soon after the incident, Indian troops and police personnel cordoned off the area and launched a massive search operation to nab the attackers. The SrinagarJammu Highway has been closed for traffic.

It is to mention here that the attack took place at a time when Indian Army Chief and top commanders are in Srinagar.

IT related exports increased

ISLAMABAD Infor mation Technology (IT) related exports have increased almost by one hundred percent over the last four years.

According to officials, currently the IT exports of Pakistan stand at 2.9 billion dollars as against the $1.4 billion recorded in 2013.

The officials said Pakistan Software Export Board is aiming to cross six billion

dollars mark in IT exports in the next couple of years.

The target will be achieved by registering new companies and by creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs to develop new products and services for export purposes.

They said a software technology park is also being established in the federal capital with the cooperation of Korean Exim bank in order to fully exploit potential of the sector.

Record 73.6mln ton sugarcane production registered ISLAMABAD The sugarcane production in the country has reached to historical high of 73.6 million ton during this year, showing 12.4 per cent increase as compared to 2016.

The sugarcane production touched 65.5 million ton mark during 2016 and comfortably exceeded target of 67.5 million ton by a considerable margin of 9 percent.

This year, sugarcane has portrayed a very promising picture not only in production domain but also area-wise cultivation which increased to 121,700,0 hectares as

compared to last year’s area of 113,100,0 hectares, showing an increase of 7.6 per cent.

Its production accounted for 3.4 per cent in agriculture’s value addition and 0.7 per cent in overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Sou rce s Food a nd Agriculture Division while highlighting the achievement on Saturday said production increased due to increase in area cultivated as it shifted from other competitive crops facing frequent distress, as for example from cotton crop which suffered on account of pest attacks.—DNA